WLP029 vs Wyeast Kolsch

This is my first time using a White Labs tube rather than a Wyeast smack pack. I've done a Kolsch with the Wyeast before, so that's my reference for how Kolsch yeast "should" behave. The tube I used was WLP029 with a late June 2010 "best by" date.

When I pitched the White Labs tube into my starter, it took quite a bit of shaking to get the yeast out of the bottom. It was stuck together like lumps of clay and stayed that way until I pushed the stir plate up to full power.

By brew day, after sitting in the fridge for a couple of days, the WLP029 starter had once again formed a relatively solid layer on the bottom of the starter. It took some effort, but I was able to pitch it after decanting most of the spent wort away and giving it a vigorous shake.

The Wyeast smack pack Kolsch yeast I remember as being much closer to the descriptions of Kolsch behavior - very creamy in suspension, not as flocculent, etc.

Is this just the difference between using smack packs vs tubes, or is something else likely going on?

With White Labs Vials, you pretty much always have to shake the crap out of them to get all of the yeast into suspension in the tube, as far as all the yeast flocculating in your starter on the stirplate, that seems odd, regardless of what yeast you are using.

Did you allow the vial to warm up to room temperature before pitching it?

What was your starter temperature kept at?

Schnitzengiggle said:

With White Labs Vials, you pretty much always have to shake the crap out of them to get all of the yeast into suspension in the tube

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+1

The WY and WL Kolsch strains are from different breweries and both behave and taste differently. I prefer the flavor of the WY, however, it blows off like a whale and don't clear in any amount of time that I can keep it around. WL on the other hand, clears nicely for me.

I think that you will be fine.

Cheers,
Glenn

I did let the WL tube normalize to room temp before pitching to the starter. The starter itself had been in my 'fridge for a couple of days.. and I pulled it out of the fridge to warm up when I first started warming my strike water.

So far it sounds like this is normal WL behavior, and it certainly has taken off well in the fermenter. The smell so far is noticeably different than the Wyeast Kolsch strain, but that might also be due to fermenting under temp control at 60F rather than a 75F kitchen floor.